Dha-Viath: Genesis
by CuriousNumber5
Summary: Prequel to "Dha-Viath". The defining moments and major events that shaped Dha-viath on her long and bloody path to becoming a Blooded Hunter, and ultimately a true part of the Yautja. Through the hardships of tragedy, training, ridicule, and the Chiva - the Yautja rite of passage, she gains strength and skill and most importantly, Honor.
1. Age: 10 - Genesis

Age: 10

It was dark…that…inside the mind dark, the place where thoughts linger just before sleeping and just before waking. But it was even more than that. Awake, but not awake…alive but…not? There was nothing to see, nothing to feel except the sensation of something rushing in from somewhere. She reached out…but she wasn't made of anything; there was nothing to reach out with. It was almost…peaceful. Peaceful was a feeling she had only on the rarest of occasions had even a few seconds of.

_Who am I, again?_

Something flickered; a fragment of memory, the barest flash of an image maybe. But it was something darker than the darkness her nothing-self was floating in. It was…hate. She was a _child_, a young child…and already she knew how to hate…_bitterly_. It was the one thing she had to center on out of the empty dark, there it was and around it was a maelstrom of rage and pain, and it was coming her way.

Something was happening around her, the dark nothing she was inside of was herself, her mind had sparked back into awareness, but her body had not? But…she was conscious…and something was happening. It wasn't nothing, it was _everything_…and that was so much worse. It was the feeling that every synapse in her brain was screaming so loudly it had become silence.

The locks of humanity had been undone somehow, and now something else was pouring into her. There was one word that seemed to be the storm's catalyst: _unwanted_. She was unwanted, every bit of her had been rejected by the very entities meant to protect and nurture her. The black spark expanded, but with it came broader consciousness and with consciousness came the other senses.

A sound filled her, the space around her, and every gap between every cell of her being. It was coming from her, a scream unlike any sound her small body had ever made in her small, short life. It felt as though her entire body was being pulled apart and smashed back together, that her brain was being flayed into tiny shreds and reordered. The agony intensified, swelling like a bubble about to burst, and the child wished for a thing no child should ever want: death.

Whatever was doing this horrible thing to her, she wanted it to kill her so that she would feel nothing, because nonexistence seemed a better alternative to whatever this was.

A switch had flipped, whether real or imagined, who knew…but the shredding of her mind ceased; all the pain inside her head vanished, leaving just the dull, pulsing ache in her body. The physical pain would have been crippling under ordinary circumstances, but compared to what had just happened, it wasn't so bad. She knew pain, though, and she knew it too well.

Her eyes opened, vision blurred; there was light above her. Maybe there was a reason the brain-torture stopped.

"Am I dead?" The words were croaked from raw vocal cords, hoarse from the screaming.

"H'ko." It was a growling reply from someone unseen. She'd never heard that word before, but she knew its meaning. The voice had told her no. She was alive. The way her body felt now made that perfectly clear. The voice kept speaking in the hard, guttural language, what sounded like growls and clicks, but she _understood_. "Never speak in that language again." Her vision was beginning to focus, the light revealed fuzzy shapes that slowly became edges. Whatever this place was, it had not been made by humans.

She wanted to reply, she needed to, and the words she wanted to say in…that language that sounded like a bag of rocks being shaken…were clear as though she'd always known it. _How?_ She knew many things, even for a child of ten. _Gifted_, she'd been called, though her life had felt like anything but a gift. It was difficult and disjointed, but she put the sentence together.

"Are you…going…to kill…me?" The words were like boulders in her mouth.

"No." The owner of the voice was still unseen.

"Why…not?" She moved slightly but was suddenly forced to hold still by a colossal figure she somehow hadn't noticed before. It had looked like part of the ship! She flinched and gasped as her eyes focused.

"Do not move, your wounds are not closed." The snarl sounded irritated. Wounds? She was injured…well, of course, she was, how else would she be in so much pain?

"What…what happened? How am I…"

"Your vessel was destroyed. There were no other surviving life signs."

Vessel? What vessel? Her mind reached for any memories that came before the pain…before the dark… They'd put her on a ship, she'd fought and struggled, and they locked her in an armored room to keep her from bothering the other passengers…she was being sent away because they didn't want her…

The memories hurt worse than her injuries, and she blinked them away, looking instead at her captor…savior? It was yet to be determined.

His…it looked like a _'him'_…his skin was dark in a mottled, almost reptilian way, lighter on his belly and underarms. He had deep-set yellow eyes, mandibles around his strange mouth; his forehead sloped upward, and his hair was comprised of long, fleshy sort of appendages. Her mind whirled through every biology book she'd ever memorized, trying to search for something like this alien and there was nothing. Under any other circumstances, she might have been terrified of a creature like him, but in that moment, he was awe-inspiring, the very embodiment of strength.

"What…are you…what people…I mean…"

"Yautja."

"Who are _you_?"

"I am called Nracha-dte."

"_Relentless_." She whispered its meaning. What did he do to have earned that name? She quietly said his name a couple more times, and it felt better to say than the other words did at least. If she wasn't permitted to speak the human language, neither would she be permitted to be called by her human name, undoubtedly. The thought didn't sadden her, nothing about that name meant anything to her. "What am _I_ called?" Her voice was quiet, and his piercing eyes met hers as he said nothing for a long moment.

"If you earn a name, you will have a name." His tone was stern. How did she even know how to discern his tone? How did she know _any_ of the things she knew at that moment?

The pain had eased considerably, and with some difficulty, she pushed herself into a sitting position then looked down at her battered body. The short pants she wore were roughly constructed, held up by a piece of rope woven through the waistband and her shirt was similarly constructed. She stared at the scars on her body, most were fading before her eyes, some it was clear would never be gone entirely.

"Was I…in pieces?" She looked up at Nracha-dte who was regarding her with his head tilted to one side. Was he _studying_ her?

"Nearly." He murmured.

"How am I…why can I…" She touched her fingertips to her lips, more and more questions coming to mind. "How can I talk…to you…and understand?"

"Your kind are uncomplicated carbon-based life forms. Very simple to repair, very simple to alter. Neural reordering and synaptic reconfiguring were not difficult. It was no matter to implant useful Yautja information." The words didn't quite make sense to her, she didn't _truly_ understand Yautja science. How could she? She'd known the language for about three minutes. "For a species that has never been much more than cattle and occasional prey, your brain has potential, more than most. Though your kind has yet to fully utilize the full capacity." He put one long, clawed finger on her forehead, then pushed her down onto her back again as he took stock of the various injuries. "It was not difficult to do so for you. Adolescent brains universally are more pliable."

"Why…" She swatted his hands away from her and sat up again. Her face twisted just as her mind was with confusion. "Why have you done this? Why save me?" Her chest rose and fell more rapidly as the initial shock of it all seemed to wear off, and feelings of every kind were rushing at her. "Cattle? We are…_cattle_…to you? Why save…one cow then?" After everything she had been through before this, and then the pain of having her mind opened and rummaged through, she was much wiser to life than others her age. "What is the point of this?" She gestured to the room around them, growing upset. "I am a child. I am of no use…you should have just let me die."

"You live at my pleasure!" He roared angrily. "Do not think that your life holds meaning to the Yautja. You will be dispatched as easily as you were plucked from the wreckage, should I so choose. Your lack of fear is unwise." Still, she was unflinching.

"Maybe you noticed…while you were in my head…my life has never meant anything to anyone. So…you are not special. I am used to it. You cannot scare me."

"You are an anomaly." He snorted. "But you will know fear."

Following the outburst, she was strapped to the table for a while and gagged, while Nracha-dte moved around strange devices and displays and at regular intervals injected her with a neon, luminescent substance. Eventually, she was released from the table and tossed into a corner where there was a pile of fabric meant to be a bed. He dropped a tray beside her that had…she couldn't even identify it but was assured it contained all the nutrients to support her biology's dietary requirements. She ate it without complaint, she was so hungry, and in such a state of hunger, it tasted good.

Time passed, but there was no way to measure it, there was no telling how many days…Terran days, anyway, had gone by. There was a routine, though. Examination, being told to stop asking questions, being gagged when she didn't comply, put back in the corner, fed slop, sleep, repeat. Through it all, she could feel her body getting better, and it felt better than she ever remembered feeling.

She had begun to question whether there was anyone else aboard the ship, she saw doors open and close as Nracha-dte moved through them but never saw any other Yautja. It was as she was speculating about the vessel, its size, and other possible inhabitants that his quarters and laboratory were invaded by several Yautja.

They wanted to see the strange human-thing he had picked out of garbage. An important-looking Yautja came into the lab, one Nracha-dte clearly deferred to and looked down at her. Standing, she just barely reached their waists; they were giants to her. He grabbed her by the forearm and lifted her up, tilting his head to one side.

"A strange pet, Nracha-dte." He rumbled. She made a snarling sort of sound and kicked at him as her arm began to hurt. Gravelly laughter erupted from the important Yautja. "Fierceling!"

"Insubordinate," Nracha-dte grumbled.

"Let's see if your pet can defend itself, yes?" The important Yautja dropped her, and she landed on her feet in a crouch, surprising even herself. Not only did her mind know things it didn't before, maybe her body did too.

"It is not trained, it will be torn apart almost immediately." Nracha-dte didn't sound pleased.

"I am a _female_, not an 'it'! I am not an animal! I am not cattle!" She spat at them.

The important Yautja snorted. "_She_ will go into the pit today. One way or another, we will have a show. It is an order."

"Yes… Yin'tekai-de." Her primary captor relented without further argument.

"What?!" She shrieked. "What pit? Why?!" The important Yautja left, laughing again, the others following.

"We will see how willing you are to die." Nracha-dte loomed ominously over her. She didn't want to die anymore, and since they seemed so confident that she would, she wanted even more to live out of sheer spite.

He strapped her to the exam table after she bit him while he tried to examine the progress of her scars. Deprived of movement, she hurled whatever insults she could think of until he grew irritated enough to gag her again.

The _only_ shred of comfort she felt was that Nracha-dte didn't seem eager to throw her into whatever pit they'd mentioned, to defend herself against who-knew-what. When he was finished taking readings and doing whatever tests he'd deemed necessary, he picked her up and carried her under his arm like she was some inanimate thing. She kicked and scratched at him in futility, she may as well have been fighting against a steel girder for all the damage she did to him.

They passed through several corridors, and various jokes and laughter were made at her expense by other Yautja they passed until finally, a larger doorway at the end of a wide hallway came into view.

Through the doors was a large, round room, Nracha-dte threw her down unceremoniously. She rolled and quickly got to her feet again, looking around in horror at the tiered seats all around. It was an arena of some sort and beneath her bare feet, on the dirty floor were various stains and dried fluids…blood perhaps. When she whirled around behind her, he had disappeared out the door, which shut and locked behind him. There were Yautja in the seats all looking down at her, hurling insults, making bets, laughing and poking fun at her.

A moment later, the important Yautja, Yin'tekai-de, and Nracha-dte appeared on the lowest tier of the arena, not far from her. She stared up at them, trying to make some kind of sense of things. It seemed cruel, even in an already cruel universe for her to be plucked from one hell, only to die horribly in a different one.

"Let's see how well your science does, Nracha-dte." Yin'tekai-de laughed. Her eyes bored into Nracha-dte's, and it seemed he was less amused by it all than the others who whooped and called for her bloody demise.

"Not unarmed." He didn't wait for permission and pulled a knife from the sheath on his leg, tossing it down to her. The spectators roared in laughter, thinking it a joke. The blade, big enough to be a sword to her, clattered at her feet and she stared at it, the only mercy she would get from these people.

They expected her to be weak, to die alone and afraid…and it spurred in her the anger which had kept her alive to begin with. It was the fire inside her, fueled by pain, and fanned by rage. She had no idea what was going to happen, what they were going to attack her with…but she would fight it, and if she died, at least it wouldn't be in some juvenile detention facility or at the hands of her father.

She reached down and picked up the knife; it was heavy but not completely unwieldy for her small form. Wrapping her fingers around the hilt, she got a feel for its heft and balance, adjusting her grip. She had no idea why she was even thinking about such things, she'd never fought with a knife before, or ever been allowed to hold one.

A small door slid open suddenly, and she jumped, startled, staring at the dark opening until some kind of four-legged animal strode out sniffing around like a dog. There were horns and barbs all over it, it was unlike any creature she'd seen before, and it was bigger than she was with very sharp teeth in what looked to be powerful jaws. Her heart began to pound, and the thing caught sight of her. Its hackles raised, the thing growled at her, prowling in her direction, back and forth across the floor, getting closer with each pass. Her first impulse was to back away, but that was what they wanted. They _wanted_ to watch their dog rip apart the stupid human child.

No…that wasn't going to happen, she couldn't let this be the end, not now. Then it lunged at her. She dove out of the way, avoiding its attacks, though she was sure it was just toying with her. The Yautja's animals were as cruel as they were apparently.

It attacked in earnest, knocking her down, but not before she'd taken a swipe with her knife; she'd felt the blade cut into it and an unexpected sense satisfaction surged upward in her. She rolled away as it snapped its jaws at her. The knife was stuck, and she managed to push the beast back with her feet. It leapt again and with the knife in one hand and the other at the butt of the hilt, she drove it into the thing's chest with all the strength she could muster, apparently striking its heart as it shrieked and then died, collapsing on top of her.

* * *

.

* * *

The tiny, young human had no discernible skills, but her reflexes were heightened, there would be a great many enhancements with the injections she'd been getting of Yautja blood. Though all effects had yet to be documented, as it was an ongoing investigation. She would be stronger, and with her already advanced mind's potential and capacity opened up to her, she would be able to calculate and kill whatever was pitted against her. Theoretically.

To Nracha-dte's surprise, and perhaps even relief, she killed the first dog, and he watched her closely as she pulled herself out from beneath the carcass then shoved it over to pull out her knife. He saw what he was looking for, the ecstasy that was a hunter's very _first_ kill. Her pupils were dilated, human adrenaline pumping through her veins in tandem with Yautja blood. At that moment, the diminutive pre-adolescent female was the most dangerous human child to have ever existed. In her eyes was fire and a potent determination as she stared at what she had killed. The creature that had been meant to kill her had been defeated. But the Yautja were not satisfied with so short a show.

"Another!" Yin'tekai-de boomed, and the tiny female whirled around, furious eyes pointing in their direction before darting to every possible opening, waiting for the next one, calculating.

She killed the next one, though it took a little longer, and still in need of entertainment, another, hungrier, animal was sent out after her. There was only so much energy and strength in so young a human, practically an infant still, though technically approaching adolescence in the lifecycle of her kind. The last one was a much longer fight as her exhaustion set in, fueled only by what was clearly rage and the raw instinct to stay alive. He'd known she didn't truly wish to die, though, given the option to go on to the detention facility she had been headed for, he imagined she indeed would prefer death over that.

After her third kill, she was battered, injured, bleeding, but alive though barely able to stand, but stand she did in complete defiance of them and their expectations. She glared into the faces of those hoping to watch her torn apart, daring them to send another dog after her.

"You cannot have my life!" She cried at them, with what little energy she had left. Their language sounded strange, coming from a human mouth, but it was understandable enough. "I will not give it to you! It is mine!" For so small a creature, her fury was as potent as any Nracha-dte had ever witnessed.

Yin'tekai-de seemed satisfied at last and gave the nod, signaling that the fight was over. All the smaller doors clacked as their locks slid into place. Nracha-dte wasn't sure how many dogs they'd been prepared to send out at her.

"I suppose your experiment will continue, Nracha-dte," Yin'tekai-de told him quietly. He was their clan leader; his word was law. Not only that, he was Nracha-dte's sire. "You need a diversion, and I am curious to see where it goes."

* * *

.

* * *

"Do you still wish to die?" Nracha-dte snarled down at her, and she shook her head, clenching and unclenching her teeth. Exhaustion beyond anything she'd experienced was settling over her, and she could barely stand.

"No. I will live." She hissed, resolute, despite fatigue. "Even though you all wanted me to die." Tears of rage and purpose poured down her cheeks. "And…my life…means something to _me_. I do not care if the Yautja care or not." She was breathing hard. Nracha-dte seemed pleased in a way and nodded, looking down at her battered face.

"You will be called Dha-viath because that is what you came from." He told her. The name was unexpected, and she was taken aback, blinking as more tears flowed freely from her eyes. It meant _disaster_. Because of what she had come from…the wreck and the hell that had been her life. "Perhaps, given the chance, you would rain it down on your enemies as well." It was a thought that breathed new life into her, the idea that she would crush anyone and anything that tried to stop her.

"I am small now, but I will grow."


	2. Age: 12 - Evolution

Age: 12

"Again." Nracha-dte waved toward the obstacle course. Dha-viath was beginning to doubt her previous convictions. Perhaps it was just the exhaustion, even that morning after the error in judgment that resulted in a particularly unpleasant gash on her arm, she was still determined. But now she was fatiguing, she'd lost count how many times she had run the course. Hundreds? And it was never the same course for more than two days in a row, but she had yet to see who changed it. Certainly not Nracha-dte.

It had grown dark, and still breathing hard, she set off. She leapt over logs, dodged swinging poles with spikes, but her brain was too fuzzy, she forgot about the dummy arms, and one caught her right at the waist as it spun and she fell backward nearly three meters off the platform, landing hard on her side with a crunch and a pop. She grunted and winced, this time it felt like she'd dislocated a shoulder _and_ her elbow…or was something broken? It had been a long day.

Dha-viath, wheezing and in pain struggled to her feet and Nracha-dte jumped down, landing neatly beside her and made an irritated sound.

"Dislocated." She panted, pointing to the injured arm with the good one.

"I heard." He picked her up as though she weighed nothing at all, not gently but somehow without jostling the injuries. "Lab, food, bed."

"Yes, yes." In the dark, he couldn't see her roll her eyes.

Her shoulder made a terrible pop when Nracha-dte put it back into place, but her elbow was only sprained, fortunately. She closed her eyes…just for a moment…

With a jolt, she jerked back to consciousness, it wasn't the first time she'd fallen asleep on the table in the midst of being _repaired_. Sometimes she wondered if she was a person or a poorly made piece of equipment, always needing to go back to the shop. This was how the days ended more often than not, though.

Even when it was terrible, it still seemed better than _before_. The cuts, bruises, and broken bones were from learning to fight, learning to _hunt_. They were Dha-viath's badges of her effort and of her progress, she wore them with pride regardless of how very far there was to go. Nracha-dte was relentless as an instructor and no doubt as a hunter and a warrior as well. His name made more sense every day. He'd achieved the status of _Elite_ much younger than others of that rank, though that had been long ago, and he was now considered a Veteran Hunter, despite still being in his prime.

She soaked up every lesson, every tip, every technique then she practiced until she bled. Nracha-dte would find her attempting to care for her own injuries and with great annoyance, carry her off to the lab that had become more an infirmary than anything else. It seemed unlikely that Yautja students required as much medical attention as she did.

Through the day-to-day life in Qr'sarn, like a shadow, Dha-viath followed Nracha-dte everywhere, though always careful to stay out of the way. In part, she worried for her safety otherwise. The other Yautja regarded her coldly at best, many of the much younger ones resenting that she was receiving such tutelage, the sort of training and knowledge any aspiring hunter would kill for.

They'd arrived the day before on K'mporva, the city which was the Clan Seat. It was from there that the _important Yautja_ who had laughed as she fought off dogs, lorded over the entire Clan. Nracha-dte delivered all these lessons of 'who was who' usually by mouth. Though, he also gave her just as much reading to do as practice.

There was an extensive hunt planned; Yautja from all over the Clan had come to vie for a spot. Nracha-dte would be going, of course, he'd received an invitation. Dha-viath wanted more than anything to see him hunt, to see him put into use all the things he'd showed and told her about. The more she was present for the hunt preparations, the more she wanted to see.

"You will remain at the Clan Seat." Nracha-dte saw her eyeing some of his freshly cleaned and sharpened weapons. She turned, staring at him in disappointed shock.

"But…why? Have I done something wrong?" She had been working so hard for all the months she'd been amongst the Yautja. Truthfully, she didn't know how long it had been in any familiar measurement of time, but days, weeks, and months seemed longer on Vrehnov than what she was accustomed to.

"None who are unblooded are permitted. Unless you _would_ like to be no more than a _pet_, you will remain at the Clan Seat for the duration." He went back to adjusting the blades of his gauntlet, and it took her a moment to process what he was actually telling her. The disappointment in not being allowed to see him hunt was suddenly overshadowed by the shock that he considered her unblooded…meaning she could one day _be_ blooded, and be permitted to hunt, and be amongst them! Perhaps not as an equal, but at least recognized as a hunter.

"When _I_ am blooded…I will be permitted?" She spoke in a whisper, trembling at the thought and he looked to where she stood, fingertips anxiously over her lips, staring wide-eyed while her mind flew through all the possibilities and what joy it would be to reach so high.

"Yes." It was the best answer she had ever gotten for anything in her life. It meant so many things, things she would have never believed possible before. He thought she would one day be ready for the Chiva, the trial and rite of passage that would recognize her as Blooded and worthy of being amongst them…worthy to _hunt_.

An excited squeak escaped her, and she clapped both hands over her mouth. A _hunter_ would not squeak or tremble with such glee. They were stoic, and Nracha-dte arched one brow at her as she quaked with pure, unadulterated happiness.

Dha-viath trotted after her towering teacher; they had an appointment. Almost always she had to jog to keep up with him. He was, after all, nearly twice her current height. K'mporva was a much, much bigger city than their home city of Qr'sarn. A tiny human scurrying after the renowned, veteran hunter, drew many stares and questions. She wore leather boots, a skirt with small decorative plates that mimicked armor, and a leather sleeveless shirt. There was a strap across her chest with various pouches, and a sheathed knife on her hip. Around her neck was a string of various beads made from the bones of the first animals she had killed in the pit, trophies she was very proud of. She kept her hair back in one long braid, having never had it cut.

They had a private meeting with _the important Yautja_, Yin'tekai-de, who Dha-viath had not seen since she was in that pit fighting for her life. She didn't think especially kindly toward him for laughing at her and assuming she would die, but his actions _had_ helped her prove to herself and everyone watching that she was strong enough to survive.

"She is looking better than the scrap of flesh and scars I remember." The clan leader peered down at her as she stood silently at Nracha-dte's side, staring back up defiantly. "Fed, clothed, and in training…how are you liking this _new life_?"

"I like it fine." Dha-viath's chin jutted out. "I like the challenge."

"Is that so? And what do you think of a challenge that injures you grievously?" He narrowed his eyes at her, and she bared her teeth slightly.

"Then I will bleed, and I will learn so that next time, I will bleed _less_." She didn't like how he made it seem like she was merely an amusement. At that, he laughed, stoking her ire. "I am not a joke, Clan Leader. Do not laugh at me!" She spat angrily. "I may be small, and just soft meat to you, but I have learned more and done more while here than any other _human_ ever could!"

"Do not disrespect the Clan Leader!" Nracha-dte snarled, giving her a shove that nearly toppled her. "Cast your eyes to the floor." She made an angry, hissing noise in response but looked down at the floor. Not holding her tongue had always been a problem of hers.

"Do not forget, Nracha-dte, a tiny fierceling she may be, but she is a female. Females at any age are not to be trifled with." Yin'tekai-de said, some amusement still in his voice, but it was the nicest thing he'd said in her presence so far. "It is remarkable, the drive to live in her. A female, indeed…Guan-dekna will truly enjoy educating her." And just _who_ was Guan-dekna? Another sadistic teacher, no doubt.

Nracha-dte had tossed Dha-viath, literally, into the corridor and closed the door again so that he might have a proper discussion with his Clan Leader. Brushing herself off and getting to her feet, she made several very uncharitable and rude remarks to the closed door. When she turned away, she saw a servant who'd been in the midst of cleaning the floors, somewhat hunched over, staring with mouth agape at her.

"What?" She frowned. "The door was _closed_." The servant blinked, still looking aghast, then turned his back to her, furiously scrubbing the same flagstone for the next minute or so. When the door opened again, the servant fled.

"What did you do?" Nracha-dte watched the fleeing Yautja trip over a bucket then glared down at her.

"I did not _do_ anything."

"Then it was something you said. You learn everything but to hold your tongue." He snarled. "Come. I will be rid of you soon enough." She followed as he strode down the corridor and made a face at the back of his head. Dha-viath wasn't offended by his complaints, he made them often enough, and she regularly made them right back, to his frustration.

In truth, Dha-viath was concerned about whoever Guan-dekna was, and why this Yautja could be counted on not to kill her in Nracha-dte's absence. He had even installed locks on the inside of her small room at the fortress in Qr'sarn to ensure she remained alive to see the suns rise every day. Though it was unlikely that any would dare bring harm to the Overlord's _pet_. She'd been called a lot of things, and _pet_ was the least vile, yet it was the one that infuriated her the most.

"Are you listening?" Nracha-dte growled at her, pulling her from her thoughts.

"No." She shook her head. His mandibles flared briefly then he gestured to a female Yautja who was approaching, an attendant on either side of her.

"This is where you shall remain." He tossed his head, tired of her antics for the day. Dha-viath stared, though, as if entranced by the approaching female, not bothering to notice or acknowledge Nracha-dte's departure.

Guan-dekna was…magnificent. Dha-viath looked at her with awe, her mouth gaping. She was tall and slim…well, as slim as it might be possible for a Yautja to be. She was more streamlined than most, the lines of her form were long and smooth, but she was every bit as strong and dangerous as any male. There was no "weaker sex" amongst the Yautja. Of that, there was no doubt. Her tresses were quite long, swept-back over her shoulders. She wore a deep-green halter top that fastened around her neck with a gold collar and a similar band of gold around her ribs. The long, matching loincloth hung low on her hips from a belt. Around her wrists and ankles were gold bangles, some had gems inlaid, some were plain, though there was nothing plain at all about her. Her skin was a deep, warm brown, the spotted patterns fading to a pale, beige belly. When she walked, it was as though she moved like water, flowing, deliberate, and in complete control of everything around her.

"Welcome to K'mporva, little one." The astonishing Yautja woman greeted her. Somehow through the rough, guttural language, she managed to sound smooth and confident, without harshness but with the promise of a very bad day should she be crossed.

"Thank you, Guan-dekna." Dha-viath was quiet and looked at the floor. She'd been left alone with this spectacular woman and had no idea what to expect or what to do.

"Look up at me." Guan-dekna's order was like a whip-crack, and Dha-viath complied without hesitation. "Do not let them tell you to look down to show respect; that is not the way _we_ do it. _They_ avert _their_ eyes from us."

"We?" Her voice was quiet and small, and she found that she very much wanted to be like Guan-dekna. She'd never wanted to be like anyone before.

"Yes, we. Females!" Her new mentor gestured to herself, Dha-viath, and her attendants. "Has my errant son taught you nothing?"

"Your son?" Dha-viath blinked in surprise. "Nracha-dte is your son?"

"He is my eldest, …and my favorite." She mused and gave a little shrug.

"I was not the favorite." She didn't know how or why it had slipped out, and Dha-viath's head hung at the thought of things from…before. Her mind ordered everything into life as she knew it now…and things from before, the things she'd like to forget.

"Head _up_!" Guan-dekna tapped Dha-viath under the chin, and she immediately looked up, startled. "That life and everything that happened in it is gone. Take the strength you gained from overcoming it and become more than what you were and more than what you are now. We do not bow our heads in shame, we do not bow our heads in deference. You are a new being, and your flesh may not be Yautja, but your spirit must be for my son to have chosen you. He is known for his ruthlessness, it is not like him to take in a small thing to make new." The words shook Dha-viath to the core; appreciation and reverence welling up inside her. No one had ever believed in her before the Yautja. Her vision blurred a little, tears welling up with her awe. "We do not shed tears of gratitude, we show we are grateful by being honorable."

"Death before dishonor," Dha-viath replied, she knew that much at least, and Guan-dekna nodded in approval.

"Now come here, we must fix this mess." She gestured at Dha-viath. "Your kind grow a strange pelt on only your head, and it is unruly…impractical! We will fix this."

They entered the quarters, and Guan-dekna tutted then plucked Dha-viath from where she stood, setting her in a seated position on a tall table. It was with surprising deftness that the braid was undone and separated into many sections. Guan-dekna rubbed some kind of compound through her hair and then created long, ropelike braids. When she was done, she pulled the front ones back and secured them with a sturdy clip.

"This is better?" Dha-viath reached up to touch the smooth, twisting braids. She liked the way they swung when she moved.

"Much. But it will grow, because your biology is strange. I will make sure Nracha-dte can do this until you learn to do it yourself." Guan-dekna declared. For some reason, the thought of Nracha-dte braiding Dha-viath's hair struck her as hilarious, and a giggle escaped her, and then another until she was flat on her back on the table overcome with laughter.

"I…I…my apologies, Guan-dekna…" She panted, grinning up at the tilted Yautja face studying her. Another giggle threatened to bubble up.

"You _are_ strange, but I understand. Come, it is time to eat. And there are others I would have you meet."

Dha-viath hopped off the table and followed Guan-dekna out of the room feeling as new as she'd been told she was. There would be hardship beyond words, but it would be worth it if she got to feel this way for even a minute at the end of it.

* * *

.

* * *

In the weeks Nracha-dte was gone on the hunt, Dha-viath had changed significantly. He noticed immediately, even from afar. She was eager to learn and to train; in that regard, he could not have had a better student, but she was fearful of everyone still, even him. She had something to lose now, and it was so valuable to her that the thought of it being taken away drove up her fear. Guan-dekna had done what he could not, which was to instill in her the confidence she needed, the faith in herself to do what must be done. He was not qualified to teach her how to be female, after all.

Since he'd brought her to Vrehnov, she'd refused to interact with any other Yautja, not that there had been reason to. She didn't know he was watching her now, she was sitting on the floor with an attendant and Guan-dekna's youngest daughter, his sister, Mo'seah. If they were forming bonds, then his life was not going to get any easier, Mo'seah was as formidable as their mother, but such bonds were necessary. If Dha-viath was to pass the Chiva, she needed more than training. Clans were built on the relationships between members. Those who chose to be alone in all aspects of their existence never fared well.

As he approached, Dha-viath noticed him, and for a brief moment, she showed her teeth in the human expression of joy before reining it in. It was with increasing frequency that the strange little human sought to quash the things she felt. He had yet to determine if such behavior would be problematic or not.

The thought was interrupted, though, as Guan-dekna arrived, regarding him coolly in the way she did everyone.

"Already the hunt is hailed a success, your skills and prowess lauded as always." She didn't sound particularly impressed, but for as decorated as he already was, it wasn't so great a matter for him to be successful. He made no reply, instead giving a deep nod of respect to her.

"Your ward has proven to be quite interesting, brother." Mo'seah got to her feet.

"Her ability to stave off your legendary boredom, _sister_, is not my doing." He gave a snort. "Come, no doubt you will have to learn everything all over again." Dha-viath sighed. Whatever came next would undoubtedly be nightmarish for them both.


	3. Age: 14 - Growing Pains

Age: 14

Many of Dha-viath's unblooded peers assumed their superiority to her simply because she was not Yautja and especially because she was human. When it came to raw strength, there was no doubt about their advantage. Everyone had limitations, even Yautja, hers were size and strength, which meant she was forced to make up for them in other ways. Being human did not mean she had only disadvantages, however. She had Nracha-dte as a teacher, and a very clever, analytical mind. On particularly bad days, she often needed to remind herself of that.

In general, humans were "soft meat," most posed little challenge for a Yautja, but there were some that proved worthy prey, and it was cleverness and ingenuity that made them dangerous. She possessed all the things that would make a hunter wary of a human, and then some.

Ald'ril-de was in charge of training in general, usually military training when it was called for, but also he taught the young, unblooded the basics of hunting. He was a Warlord of Qr'sarn, the highest honor Nracha-dte could bestow on a worthy hunter and warrior. He was the Overlord's closest advisor on matters of the hunt and war alike.

Nracha-dte often had other responsibilities, or he merely tired of Dha-viath's belligerence, she didn't know or care which, but it resulted in her being under the Warlord's tutelage. Dha-viath was sure that she frustrated him as much as she did her teacher, but that was no matter; all she cared about was training, growing stronger, learning more.

She was bleeding, at least one rib was cracked. It wasn't the first time she'd been ground into the dirt by the others, though in this case it had been entirely without honor on their part. More than one took turns holding Dha-viath as the others took out some of their anger on her. She refused to find any fault with them, finding fault only in herself and her abilities. She was too stubborn and not stupid enough to cry unfairness. They knew better than to kill her, and they knew how to beat her badly but not fatally.

Hunched over in the shadow beside a wall, breathing hard with dirt and frustrated tears on her cheeks, her hands shook as she poured a cleaning solution over the freely bleeding abrasion on her leg. Her breath hissed out through clenched teeth before she applied the bandage. She hated returning at the end of the night only for Nracha-dte to have to do all the patching. If she could get to the med cabinet, she'd be able to give herself the injection to help her ribs heal faster rather than bothering him with the task.

It didn't matter that she knew more about technique and the intricacies of hunting. It didn't matter that her every waking moment was spent poring over information, assimilating it, memorizing it. It didn't matter that her wit and cleverness were well beyond the other unblooded youths. Though she tried, she had yet to successfully take one of them down. She'd analyzed and rehashed every fight she got into…which, there were many. She could hold her own for a little while if it were one on one, but against more than one opponent, she was powerless. The feeling of helplessness, of weakness…they were things that triggered feelings from _before_, feelings that interfered with defending herself.

The shadow of Ald'ril-de fell across her, and she wiped at her cheeks, accomplishing little more than smearing the dirt. He reached down, hoisting her up by her harness, putting pressure on the cracked ribs and the strangled hiss of pain she gave, refusing to cry out, made him drop her.

"Ribs again?" He growled. She said nothing, staring at the ground, ashamed and angry with herself. The others hated her, but she didn't hate them. They wanted to assert their dominance over her, to prove she was weak and unworthy of the guidance she received. Indeed she felt inadequate and unworthy after every one of these scraps.

The Warlord led her away from the training yard, and in one of the supply sheds was a small med station. He plucked her up and set her on the table, not unlike Nracha-dte.

"What is stopping you from beating them?"

"I am smaller and weaker."

"Those are your disadvantages, not the reason." He got a larger container of the cleansing solution from a cabinet and set it beside her.

"I lack the information regarding techniques to apply when in an altercation against a larger, bipedal opponent."

"What else?"

"I have searched the databanks again and again…" She shook her head, staring at her bloodied knees while he methodically cleaned the worst of the lacerations.

"You believe in your inferiority. How can you win if you already think you will lose?" His question struck her like a blow, and finally, she looked up.

"But how can I believe that I will win?"

"Regardless of what many say, you are not stupid. You understand well the principles of physics, you understand technique. You are clever enough to figure out how to turn their advantages against them, and how to use your disadvantages to win." He keyed in a passcode on a small metal box, and the lid popped open with a hiss, cold refrigerated air releasing. Inside was a syringe of the serum Nracha-dte had designed specifically for her injuries. Ald'ril-de took it, prepped it, and without warning, plunged it into the soft area just behind one collarbone.

Dha-viath stifled the surprised cry, clenching her teeth, eyes squeezed shut as the burning traveled downward. It was a complicated _medicine_ that combined the use of Nracha-dte's blood with nanites. The nanites would make their way into her bloodstream and repair the damage they came across, explicitly programmed for human physiology. A small number at a time had been introduced to her system since she'd come to Vrehnov. They worked best when she was able to rest and sleep.

"They have not endured the suffering you have. Your advantages outnumber theirs. If you figure out how to harness that knowledge, you will become very dangerous." He slammed the box shut again, returning the supplies to their places and shoved her off the table. The day was ending, she would not train any more until tomorrow.

"I will take your words into consideration, Warlord." Without a backward glance, Dha-viath hurried to make her way back to the stronghold.

* * *

There were more fights, which meant there were more beatings. Sometimes it was Dha-viath who instigated. She systematically tested and observed the ways different Yautja of different build and skill levels fought. It was often at the cost of frequent injury to herself, but there was no price too high to pay for usable data. She made notes and tested her theories through a simulation program. But she also knew that it could not be all formulas and planned sequences. She needed to anticipate how her opponent would move, how they would attack, and how they would react to being attacked. They were bigger and stronger, but she was faster and calculating.

There were a few weeks in which the others didn't seek Dha-viath out for their usual taunting that inevitably led to a fight. Nracha-dte had been around observing the training more closely and no doubt they didn't wish to invite his ire. However, she was sure that should there have been a fight, he would not have intervened. As ever, everything was an opportunity to learn, in his opinion.

The chance came, just as she knew it would. It was Zo'dtuil, the one who took the most pleasure in the assault no matter how fair it was or not. Dha-viath heard much of the discussion about the unblooded when she lurked in the shadows around the stronghold. Nracha-dte always knew she was there, but she had enough skill that the others did not. The general consensus was that Zo'dtuil would need to be firmly put in his place and taught to respect honor.

He was young, but he was skilled, and though smaller than full-grown Yautja, Zo'dtuil was still _much_ larger than Dha-viath. She was drinking, and he slapped the water container out of her hand. Others were watching, but they seemed content to be spectators this time, as opposed to being complicit in another honorless beating.

"The Overlord isn't here to protect you today." His laughter was mocking.

It didn't make her angry anymore, it didn't make her feel bad to be their target. Warlord Ald'ril-de had very simply redirected her energy and given her a goal. Once Dha-viath had a goal, she did not let go of it until it was achieved.

Without a word, she looked up at the posturing young Yautja, and she was calm. There was every possibility that the fight could end with her bleeding in the dirt again. But it didn't have to, not anymore. She was not _less_. It took more than size and strength to be a hunter. Believing those to be most important was what got so many young bloods and unblooded alike killed in short order.

She was fast, that was the first advantage she held over her opponent. He could snap a tree trunk like a twig, but she could move around and over him without so much as breaking a sweat in the time it took to fire off one strike.

"Will you fight back this time? We need a good laugh."

Zo'dtuil moved to shove her, his usual opener, to get her on the ground which _was_ a danger zone for her. Pinned down, she would be helpless. With a turn of her shoulders and one step to the side, he missed and took a faltering step forward to catch himself. He assumed she would not learn from every other encounter.

No movement was wasted. Zo'dtuil swung his massive fist and it swept by her face, the wind from it moving the tiny hairs that had escaped her braids. He was not stupid, though; she could only dodge him so many times before he adjusted his technique to accommodate.

She needed to make him angry; were he a calm, collected brawler, she'd have planned differently, but for Zo'dtuil, his arrogance and narrow-minded assumptions would be his downfall. Making it look as though he'd almost hit her, Dha-viath got in close, using his momentum and her own strength to land a solid uppercut to his jaw.

His roar of shock was very satisfying, but she didn't break focus, she couldn't afford even the slightest distraction, and her heart pounded in her own ears. It needed to be a short fight, she still lacked the stamina for it to go on and on, but he did not.

She dodged another punch but failed to block the sideways knee that came out of nowhere. Dha-viath hit the ground hard but rolled backward, instantly on her feet again as the furious Yautja stormed toward her. Unlike a human, Yautja lacked many of the soft spots to land a good punch, her assault in this case would need to focus on his head. Their bodies had evolved to protect the most vulnerable places. His throat and face unarmored, unguarded…

He lunged to grab her and Dha-viath climbed him like a tree, the shock evident in his eyes the split second she saw them before grabbing his head for leverage and clamping her thighs around his neck from behind. A choke-out of that nature required far more strength than her arms had. He flailed, claws cutting here where he could reach as she squeezed harder, teeth clenched, the pain didn't matter.

Zo'dtuil finally stopped trying to grab her body and went instead for her legs. Though he'd begun to droop, he was still strong enough to pry her off, and once with a firm grasp, he whipped her like a ragdoll across the yard.

Dha-viath's back met with a wooden support post with enough force that it cracked. All the air left her, and she saw him coming at her again as she wheezed. Quickly, she rolled and got to her feet, her body throbbing where the impact had been. She couldn't bother with that right now, she needed to finish this.

He started to run, grabbing one of the practice staves as he passed the rack and swung it. Dha-viath ducked, and he broke it in half against a stone column. Not one to miss an opportunity for advantage, she ducked another swing and grabbed the broken half that lay in the dirt. She kept moving back as he barreled forward, then he lunged with his half of the staff, and she got low, grabbing his arm as it missed her and using his uncontrolled momentum against him flipped him hard onto his back. But she landed on top of him, the wind knocked out again as the pain in her back burned anew.

She pushed through, ignoring the warnings her body was giving her as she pulled the broken staff from his hands while he tried to draw air into his lungs. With a ragged scream, she kicked him hard across the face, a spatter of bright blood misting into the air with the crunch of bone.

Zo'dtuil grabbed her by the ankle, roaring in fury, pulling her down but she landed her free heel hard onto the tendons of his wrist, and he let go, scrambling to a crouch.

He was too late, reaching for the broken staff he found only dirt, and with both hands, Dha-viath swung hers. It met the side of his head with another crack. The sounds of rage and pent up frustration tore from her, and she swung again and then again.

The broken staff was raised high above her head, and as she moved to bring it down, his other hand tapped the ground, a move of submission. The butt of the staff stopped just before his face, and she watched his chest rising and falling rapidly. He looked surprised that Dha-viath stopped, that she didn't follow through and beat him into unconsciousness as she very much wanted to…as he had done to her plenty of times whether she tapped or not.

No one had ever submitted to her, and she was breathing hard, then let the staff fall to the ground, her eyes on his. One of his tusks had cracked off, she had marked him permanently.

"I show you honor. I show you what strength is." The anger was potent in her tone. "You submitted to _me_ this day. And you will remember it for the _rest_ of your life. You are an _honorless dog_." She spat blood on the ground beside him, and there was an uncomfortable murmur amongst the other unblooded. She'd flung a grievous insult, expecting him to get angry and hurl one back. But she'd heard it all; there was nothing they could say to her that had not already been said.

"Death…before dishonor." Came his choked response. "I will prove myself worthy."

Dha-viath looked up at those who had been watching, both Warlord Ald'ril-de and Nracha-dte were at the top of the staircase. With her head held high, she struck her fist against her chest twice, then turned and walked toward the archway that led out of the training grounds.

* * *

The metal table was cold as she lay face down, it felt good though, on her bruised flesh. Would Zo'dtuil try to prove himself worthy by fighting her again? Or had this bought her some peace?

"They are foolish." She let out a long breath.

"Many think the same of you." Nracha-dte cleaned the wounds on her back.

"They thought that you were protecting me." The solution burned in the scrapes and cuts, and she winced. "But I know you were waiting for me to finally beat them."

"It was one fight. Now more will seek to challenge you."

"And I will fight them too." She scoffed.

"Are you so confident now?"

"I did not say I would win them all. I will still spend more time in the dirt than on my feet, I am sure. But I will learn, and I will grow." Dha-viath pushed herself up a little to look back at him. "I have come to realize that they have always lived this life, they've never been torn from the familiar and forced to adapt to something new."

"Not yet, they have not."

"And _I_ have."


	4. Age: 16 - Mating Season

Age: 16

The Yautja were logical, methodical people. Brilliant scientists, tacticians, warriors, hunters…anything they did was with razor-sharp precision. Until the _Season_ each year. Mating season was when they all went mad and alternated between brawling and copulating in the streets; sometimes both, sometimes consecutively…even concurrently.

The Season was long and usually while the eligible population was losing themselves in their pleasures and everything else that went on, Dha-viath avoided everyone and everything. The training grounds were all but abandoned, the only others who were there were other dedicated unblooded Yautja who were also preparing for their upcoming trials. Hers was still not announced; it would be for Nracha-dte to decide as he was responsible for her.

She was sitting in the shade, drinking water after three uninterrupted hours of practice. One other unblooded, a male called Ba'hru, had been training on the other end of the grounds and he approached. To her shock, he sat down beside her in the shade, and she stared at him, astounded. Almost no one acknowledged her when she was out here; she may as well have been invisible. He gestured to the canteen though, and she handed it over. He drank for a moment then gave it back, letting out a long breath.

"I look forward to a time I don't have to spend the season training."

"That will be soon, will it not?" Dha-viath eyed him warily, making sure to watch for any others that might be in on some joke.

"Yes. Shortly after the end of the Season, we depart for the Chiva."

"I have seen you out here often; you show great dedication."

"I could say the same." He glanced down at her.

"Why would you?" She frowned, having never received a compliment from any peer before.

"Is it not true?"

"It is, yes. I _am_ dedicated. There is nothing else for me but to hone my skills; otherwise, I've done nothing but make myself prey." There was a long stretch of silence. "Why are you…speaking to me?"

Ba'hru shrugged. "There is no one else to talk to." He was one of the few unblooded that trained here who had not harassed her, though neither had he acknowledged her existence.

There was a sudden flurry of motion, and a couple crashed through the dense hedges across the way, barely stopping before they got to business. She didn't recognize either of them, but watched, feeling a little strange to be observing the _activity_ with a male sitting beside her.

"Soon enough, that will be you, Ba'hru, and you will be as happy as everyone else is this time of year." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" She frowned then scoffed. "Whether I am blooded or not, I will be spending the Season here in this yard, training."

"The hunt brings us the pleasure of glory and honor. The pleasure of our names being associated with greatness. Mating brings us pleasure to our bodies." Ba'hru shrugged.

"I've already accepted that the only pleasure I will ever know is that of the hunt. And if not the hunt, then, the honorable release of death." Dha-viath shrugged back at him. "I'm sure you are aware of the many comparisons made between my body and those of infants unworthy of living."

"You have not thought about it?" His tone made her feel suspicious.

"I do not know what you are getting at, Ba'hru, but I will not be tricked into saying something so that you and the others can laugh at me." She moved away from him a bit.

"I have never laughed at you." It was true; he wasn't so much like the others; he lacked the short temper and explosive anger. He was more level headed and seemed to be without the reckless, self-destructive need to prove himself.

"Why not?"

"Perhaps I am more like the one who sired me, than like the others."

"Your father? And who is he?"

"Nracha-dte, of course." He clicked in amusement as her head whipped around. She knew her teacher had numerous offspring, but she'd still never met any of them. She could see it now, the way Ba'hru carried himself. "I would never dishonor him or his wishes by petty attempts to assert dominance over you. I have learned much from Nracha-dte, and he did not become as great as he is by an inflated ego and underestimating those perceived as _less_. My worth does not come from what others think of me, but from my deeds."

"It is a shock I never realized just how much you sound like him." Dha-viath mused. "Then again, I don't really listen to you."

"You carry adequate strength and skill for your stature; if you wished it, I would offer myself to lie with you." He tilted his head.

"With Nracha-dte as your father, I can say with some certainty that you will never be without a willing partner, Ba'hru." She gave a mirthless laugh, not at all amused. "You will never reach a point of desperation where you would need to lie with me. And _I_ will never reach a point where I am willing to be a novelty experience for anyone."

"It would be novel." He leaned toward Dha-viath, and she jerked away from him fearing he was going to touch her. She stared at him, eyes wide, her heart pounding as she was ready to flee. "But…the first time is novel regardless of who, wouldn't you think?"

"Even if we both were blooded, I would not accept such an offer. Propagation is part of the pleasure of mating, as I am incapable, any interest in me would be novel curiosity at best. You will have to live with never knowing." Her face felt hot, and she didn't know why, but Dha-viath got to her feet and quickly got as far from Ba'hru as she could.

He _probably_ wasn't just harassing her, but there was a multitude of reasons she rejected him. The simplest reason was that she didn't want him; she had no interest in such contact with anyone, really. The second reason would be that it likely would only be an experience he bragged or joked about with the others. Lastly, the unblooded were not permitted to mate, though it was less of an ordinance than the fact that no females would even give an unblooded male a second glance.

Physically, Dha-viath's anatomy was compatible with that of the Yautja. She'd seen enough undressed females to make the necessary comparisons. Usually, any rumination on the subject was in passing and very brief, and it certainly was never discussed with Nracha-dte. Her knowledge was comprised of information from biology write-ups, and the bizarre discussions that went on sometimes between Guan-dekna and Mo'seah.

She could not reproduce, so there was never any reason to dedicate much energy and thought to the topic where she was concerned. But now, thanks to the troublesome Ba'hru, it was on her mind.

The Yautja had their own sense of aesthetics and what they found to be attractive. Females of higher rank were generally seen as more appealing, they were also usually more adorned than others of lesser position. Often it was the way they moved and behaved that got the attention of the males. The males, on the other hand, hunted to amass their glory and worthiness as mates. If they were strong, skilled hunters with impressive collections, then they were more likely to produce offspring of a similar caliber. It was no surprise that Nracha-dte was so highly sought after during the Season.

Typically, one or two females would remain in the Stronghold for the duration, and they would do what they did while Dha-viath kept as far from it as she could. The times she'd crossed paths with the selected females had been strangely contentious and violent. It was her understanding, though, that his offspring were fairly sparse, but those who were born seemed to achieve honor and greatness above their peers.

No doubt, Ba'hru would make a very fine blooded hunter who would pique the females' interest much sooner than others at his level.

* * *

It was safe in the lab; it had biometric locks and therefore couldn't be invaded by anyone without the aid of someone approved. Dha-viath perched on a stool at the workbench, various bones laid out in front of her, taken from the small kills she'd made over time. To rest her mind, she would often sit in the quiet, carving and polishing beads, which she'd string together. Her small bedchamber had many such strings draped about.

But, her mind would not quiet that night, and it led her on treacherous paths of thought. What did _she_ find attractive? Though undoubtedly biased, she compared just about every Yautja she met against Nracha-dte. But most Yautja did the same, considering everything he had done. As she had no way to reproduce, her attraction could be based solely on what gave her pleasure, which meant that the deeds and trophies of a male were not as relevant to her, except that she'd been brought up to revere such things as monumentally important. She admired strength and skill, she knew.

The lab door opened, startling Dha-viath violently out of her ridiculous musings and she glared over her shoulder to see Nracha-dte enter, clad only in leather around his waist.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you have something _else_ to do?" She turned back to her project, feeling an unexpected twinge of bitterness at the fact this was a time she'd never be welcome to be a part of.

"Is this not my laboratory?" He ignored her question, so she ignored his in return.

"I was propositioned today."

"_What_?" The shock in her voice was both amusing and irritating simultaneously. Was he angry someone had or was it disbelief that anyone ever would?

"Ba'hru, at the training grounds. I didn't realize he was your offspring. After speaking with him, though, it was more apparent. I suspected that it was a trick being played on me, though." She kept her tone light, and when there was no reply, she turned around again as Nracha-dte stared coldly at her, an expression she didn't understand just then. "I declined, _obviously_. I am no one's entertainment, and certainly not for an unblooded."

"His mind is more curious, more interested in knowledge and its application than only the hunt." Nracha-dte went to the flat tool drawers and opened the top one, needlessly rearranging the items inside it. More nonsensical behavior, but it was the Season, she didn't expect anyone to be in their right mind.

"Like yours." She murmured, looking back toward her beads, yet watching him from the corner of her eye. He was tall, even by Yautja standards but his build was somewhat more compact, and he was more agile than some of the thicker hunters. He was the only one who had touched her without violence…in her whole life, _before_ and now. The thought made her insides clench in a very odd way, warmth rising to the surface.

The image of the individuals who'd crashed through the hedges came to mind and with it another unwelcome, albeit not unpleasant sensation. She remembered the way their bodies moved, the male positioned behind the female…well until he'd turned her over. Still, she could hear the sounds they'd made as he drove into her.

Dha-viath's mouth was open, though she didn't realize it and closed it quickly, swallowing audibly, trying to shove back her body's unwelcome response to seeing the sexual activity. In her mind's eye, she became the female, imagining the weight of the male over her, what it might feel like to have someone inside her…then he became Nracha-dte. Her core immediately felt as though she'd been lit on fire and unconsciously, she squeezed her legs together. The real Nracha-dte looked over at her from where he stood. In her imagination, his face looked down at her.

She gasped, then yelped as the knife slipped, cutting her left hand. The pain thankfully pulled her mind from the imaginary and impossible scenario. Beads scattered across the workbench, rolling off the edges and the knife clattered to the floor. She clutched the bleeding appendage, her brain struggling to take necessary action. _What_ was wrong with her?! Her face was dark red, burning with humiliation, as though her thoughts could be read. Thankfully, she knew they could not.

When Nracha-dte took her hand, she nearly fell off the stool with the flight instinct quickly kicking in. With his free hand, he righted her, letting out an annoyed breath. Language failed, and Dha-viath stared as he held her wrist to keep her from moving, cleaning the laceration with the other before applying the balm and a bandage.

He was standing very close, of course, and the heat that radiated from him was not helping matters. It was an unexpected and unwanted assault on Dha-viath's senses, the feel of his hand on her wrist, his breath, the sight of him, his scent…clean but earthy. She was horrified to see curiosity in his eyes when she dared to look up at his face, and without hesitation, she wrenched her arm free and got off the stool to get to the door as quickly as possible.

She stumbled. The beads rolled across the floor and under her feet, but she didn't fall at least, letting out a long breath once the door closed behind her. Internally she berated herself, logical thought returning finally, along with dread.

Nracha-dte would _know_. She'd read many of the medical notes he'd taken on her over time, unbeknownst to him, and recalled the entries regarding his ability to detect cyclical hormonal changes in her by scent alone. It didn't matter that she was fastidiously clean, the Yautja sense of smell was much more powerful than a human's…yes, he would _know_.

He couldn't read her mind, but he was _very_ adept at reading her body. An urge to find Ba'hru and beat him violently about the face and head arose in her. Had he never said those things, her mind wouldn't have wandered in so foolish a direction. Was that his plan all along? To get her thinking, to make her long for something she would never ever have? It was the ultimate cruelty if so. He'd seemed sincere; she'd seen the ridge beneath Ba'hru's leather twitch when he said he'd offer himself to her. Would this horrible ache go away if she gave in, if she sated this new…wretched _need_? The thought of allowing Ba'hru inside her seemed to quell the heat a bit, so she thought about it some more. No, she wouldn't like that at _all_. She didn't want _him_.

With no appetite, Dha-viath went to bed, it was dark anyhow, and she would need to be up early to train. Distantly she remembered the mess of beads and bones she left in the lab. She'd need to clean that up first thing.

_Come_, sleep…it was a silent plea that went unanswered, her mind refused to settle. _Unfinished business_, she thought grimly. With a frustrated sigh, she turned over, uncomfortable and too warm. The climate control dial was across the room, and though it was a small room, it was still farther than she wanted to go to change it.

Her mind wandered aimlessly, then very much aimed as again she thought of the mating Yautja and again imagined it was her and Nracha-dte. She flopped over onto her stomach and squeezed her eyes shut, yelling, frustrated, into her pillow. She'd gone _all_ this time without ever thinking about any of this! A very _long_ time!

But that molten ache had returned, and she squirmed. Dha-viath gasped as she rubbed up against the blanket, and a small shock of sensation got her attention. Tentatively, she wiggled her hips a little more, and there it was again, just a minuscule bolt that felt…very nice. A third attempt was fruitless and always a problem solver, she bunched the blanket up some more beneath her.

That was better. She moved against the little blanket mound, the ache simultaneously building and appeased. A small moan escaped her, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. Maybe this was what all the fuss was about, all the enjoyment she'd heard talked about. Whatever the case, she didn't stop, nothing but the sound of her breath in the darkness.

Pressure, like water behind a dam, was building, to what end, she didn't know, but her eyes were closed tight as she recalled every memory she could of Nracha-dte's hands on her, it didn't matter that it had always been to tend to her injuries.

And then _it_ happened, Dha-viath giving a cry of surprise as her the deepest parts of her clenched, a spasm pulsing outward from an epicenter she never knew she had. She shook, writhing involuntarily, gasping and giving a final groan as it ebbed away.

What was _that_? That…was what all the fuss was about. She knew all the mechanics and stages of Yautja coupling but hadn't known about the human equivalent.

_Now_ she was sleepy…but also she wanted to do it again. The Season was only half over and in light of her discovery, passing the time wouldn't be so bad.


	5. Age: 17 - Blooded

Age: 17

The massive pyramid was visible over the trees in the distance, and the three unblooded hunters traveled in silence, making their way toward it. The Yautja, Thicho and Pa'tahl were not delighted that Dha-viath was the third member partaking in the trial. The clan leader had selected each of them himself, though; no complaints could be made.

The temple was made to contain the serpents, and it was meant to be challenging, if not deadly, for those seeking kills inside of it. Dha-viath had not seen the schematics to this particular pyramid; that would be cheating, after all. But she had studied the mechanisms which were universal throughout them all.

A queen was captured and restrained, kept in stasis until needed, then reanimated to produce the eggs. Hosts were acquired ahead of time so the serpents could gestate, then once fully grown, they were ready to be hunted. The pyramids were all unique, running on different timers with different shifting components, all of which were meant to separate the Yautja. The odds were intentionally stacked against them, and if the rumors were to be believed, the temple chosen for _this_ Chiva was notorious for three going in and none coming out. Nracha-dte himself had been blooded here.

Dha-viath wasn't surprised. She needed to prove herself more than the others. They were expected to be strong enough and smart enough to survive. To them, she was still just an experiment everyone expected to die.

"It is strange that the Clan Leader came aboard this time. He does not attend these usually." Thicho glanced backward where the large ship hovered, then cloaked. They were alone.

"He would see me fail," Dha-viath spoke up. "He has watched for years, waiting for me to finally show weakness."

Pa'tahl gave a snort. "That explains why _this_ pyramid was chosen."

"Just think of the glory it will bring you." She'd been stewing on the entire trip knowing that she was more closely scrutinized than perhaps even her companions. They would be her hunt-brothers if they all lived, and they would share an almost familial bond for the rest of their lives.

Their proximity initiated the pyramid mechanisms, and though they were not even climbing the steps yet, it was shifting and changing. What had appeared to be the entrance was closed off, alternate routes would be necessary. Already Thicho and Pa'tahl had gone their own ways, and Dha-viath was alone. They were under no obligation to assist or support one another, the Chiva was about the self; it was about becoming worthy and being recognized in the eyes of their betters.

Dha-viath scanned the visible faces of the pyramid; it looked impregnable. As she drew nearer, she saw one of the others scaling the front. The intervals between shifts would not be equal, but there would be a pattern. Punching in a few commands, Dha-viath programmed her helmet to keep track of each change. When the sequence was established, she would know how much time she had to get from place to place.

She approached the pyramid base, and her heart was hammering hard. There was only so much time to enter, which prevented the serpents from getting out. To be caught outside after the pyramid locked down meant immediate failure.

Heavy mechanical sounds boomed from deep within, and the pyramid shifted. Several meters above, on the side of the staircase, an opening appeared. There was no telling if the current interval was five minutes or one so Dha-viath needed to be fast.

Scaling the vertical surface was not an obstacle with the clawed gauntlets she wore. The opening was just big enough for her to slip through, and as she cleared it, the rumble of an impending shift happened again. She was inside of a dirty crawl space, no parts of which had moved in the shift, but that didn't mean they wouldn't.

Without stopping to contemplate the probability of being crushed, Dha-viath moved as fast as she was able, coming to a heavy grate. The low light level was of no consequence as she examined her exit since the mask adjusted automatically. Finally, she kicked out the grate and dropped down into a sizeable room. There were statues of stylized forms of Yautja, and some were broken or had pieces missing. The dark stone walls were covered in an archaic form of Yautja writing.

The sound of claws on stone broke the silence, and she froze, scanning the room for openings. Other than the doorway, there were none. The serpents were free inside the pyramid, the trial had truly begun. The mere act of killing one serpent was not enough, they all would need to be eradicated before any survivors were allowed to leave the pyramid.

Dha-viath made her way to the next chamber which had seating around it and a flat area at the center. An arena, perhaps, a place that felt all too familiar…

It happened so fast that she wasn't even sure exactly _what_ had happened. There was a screech and an impact. She was on the floor as a tangle of glossy black limbs grabbed at her. With a loud grunt, she drove her knife upward under its jaw and twisted, engaging the barbed blade before ripping it out again. Quickly, she rolled away from the acid blood, watching it.

It was dead…well, it had twitched for a bit, but it was definitely dead now. Dha-viath had killed a serpent…but it was _small_, not very much bigger than she was and she knew that they could get much bigger. She'd killed a serpent, but it wasn't good enough. She could not allow there to be _any_ question as to the state of her blooding, and so she didn't mark herself. It was just a runt; it wasn't worth it.

Dha-viath ran through the corridor, her sensors were on high to alert her of the smallest movement, to scan for any trace of serpent chemical composition. The pyramid shifted, and she darted through a narrowing space into a large chamber before the slab slammed to a halt. Across, through another slowly closing opening, she saw at least three serpents, all gathered over a spot on the far wall. The door shut with a heavy thud, stone settling on stone.

If the serpents were exhibiting organized behavior, then they were getting instructions from somewhere, and there was only one place they'd get them. Dha-viath and her hunt brothers were in more trouble than she could have anticipated.

She hit the com button.

"The serpents may attempt to release the queen." She expected no response and got none, but they all stood a better chance of coming out alive if they knew something of that magnitude was a possibility.

As she moved to another chamber, listening to the sound of the serpents skittering in adjoining, but unreachable, rooms, the pyramid began to shift. There was a grinding noise and a crash. A sound that the mechanisms should not have made. At the end of the hallway, galloping along the ceiling, was a serpent larger than her first kill. It barreled toward her. Keeping aware of its position, she darted across to another chamber. It was the _weapons_ chamber. Every pyramid had one. It didn't look like the others had reached it yet. The plasmacasters were outdated, some had begun to corrode. All she needed though was for one to fit the connection.

Dha-viath grabbed the shuriken and snapped it onto her belt then snatched up the least-corroded plasmacaster. Keeping an eye on her surroundings, she fiddled with the connection and locked it into place. To her astonishment, it booted up and began to charge. At that moment, the serpent dropped down in the doorway with a hiss, and she let loose the shuriken. It took the serpent's left arm off at the elbow, and she caught it and threw it again, moving backward. Even after so long, it had maintained its sharpness.

The shuriken embedded in the serpent's shoulder and it shrieked, furious, but it had given the plasmacaster enough time to charge. As it made the high pitch ready whine, Dha-viath aimed and fired at the creature as it stomped toward her. The blast caught it squarely in the face, and it collapsed. In a hissing spew of blood and smoke as it corroded the dark stone floor. Idly, she wondered what kind of stone it was that it seemed resistant to the acid.

Her heart was pounding hard as she stepped up to her kill, a _good_ kill this time, and carefully pulled the shuriken free. Another loud grinding sound rumbled through the pyramid this time with the sound of crashing stone. Somehow, they'd managed to damage the primary mechanisms. But now, she had two kills, and this one was better than the first.

Thicho and Pa'tahl entered the room from opposite doorways, both going to the remaining weapons at the center.

"Do you have your kills?" She looked from one to the other. Thicho nodded.

"Not yet." Pa'tahl did not sound pleased but snapped another of the plasmacasters into place and tossed a shuriken to Thicho. "If it is as you say, and they are trying to free the queen, we must get to the lower chamber. There is a fail-safe, it will kill the queen outright, and we can take down what remains of her hive."

"It is our responsibility to rein them in." Thicho agreed.

The _only_ thing working in their favor was that the pyramid could not shift, though that presented obstacles as well. They'd picked their way down to the lower levels, Pa'tahl killing two serpents on the way, earning his kills. That meant they were all blooded, they would all be accepted into the clan…if they made it out alive.

The beasts should have been more aggressively seeking them out, the fact they weren't was troubling. It meant they were up to something else.

The door leading to the queen antechamber hallway was open just enough that Dha-viath could squeeze through without her pack on. Shimmying out of it, she took four of the compact charges they had and wriggled through. It was empty on the other side, save for some rubble at the mouth of the tunnel which led to the queen-chamber. The noise from her and her spawn was getting louder.

Dha-viath placed the mines strategically as the others stuck theirs on the outside. She gave the signal and then moved back. The detonation was programmed down, enough to crack the stone but not enough to do structural damage to the pyramid.

Pa'tahl and Thicho pulled the shattered stone out of the way, making an opening they could fit through. Pa'tahl handed her back the pack, but there was a screech and several serpents charged into the room. There was no door on the opening that led to the queen's chamber, it was a winding hallway, and Dha-viath ran for it. She threw the shuriken at the serpent charging her, and as it tried to avoid the blades, it put itself in the trajectory perfectly, its long head severed in half.

She caught her weapon as it returned and headed to the passage, shrugging the pack into place on her shoulders and connected it. Just as it booted back up, she shot one and then another serpent skittering across the ceiling. Ahead there was a bright orange glow, and heat emanating toward her.

"Keep going!" Pa'tahl came up behind her, Thicho on his heels.

As they rounded the final turn, there was a piercing, ragged shriek and the sound of rending flesh. When they finally reached the chamber, the queen tore herself free from the last membranes of her ovipositor. The eggs had begun to pile up, and some were twitching, ready to open.

"Burn the eggs." Thicho pointed, and Dha-viath nodded. It was going to further enrage the queen who was pulling at her chains, calling more of her children forth. How many hosts had there _been_?

In her pack, Dha-viath kept a compressed can of very flammable compound. It was for just such an occasion when a hostile, invasive species would require burning. All three of them had it for the Chiva, it wasn't to be used to achieve their kills, only to prevent the species from spreading if something went wrong. The last line of defense against the serpents was a nuclear detonation.

As she began to spray the eggs, they wobbled more, the depositors inside growing agitated and she looked back just as the queen broke her chains. Perhaps she would die with her companions today, but they would die blooded, and that was good enough for her.

One shot from the plasmacaster ignited the eggs. The queen screamed, her head emerging from its protective carapace, and turned toward Dha-viath. Thicho hit her with a blast from his own gun, getting her attention back. She was huge…her skin black and glistening, her ornate crest massive. Her body was better armored than the serpents, she had evolved to withstand attack. Thicho's blast did nothing but irritate her. His effort was rewarded with a sharp jab of her tail, impaling him quickly through the middle.

With another flick of the deadly appendage, she flung Thicho's body, and he hit the wall behind him. There was no time to have any thoughts about the loss as the queen's attention on Dha-viath resumed. Every shred of data she'd absorbed on that species flew through her mind as she reached for any possible vulnerability. This was a queen, it was almost entirely invulnerable, the only way to kill it would be decapitation, but its crest and jaws made it practically impossible to get close enough to.

She needed the queen to be distracted by another threat, she needed to be seen as neutralized so that Pa'tahl became the primary target. He was standing in the tunnel arch and nodded; he knew as well as she did what needed to happen.

The queen's feet cracked the stone slabs beneath her feet; at over four meters tall, there was no telling how much she weighed. Pa'tahl began firing at her, which she ignored, but the serpents began to swarm into the room and every other shot, he picked one off, making her screech in anger. Her approach slowed but didn't cease as Dha-viath fired one or two blasts. The queen cared more about her offspring than one tiny threat, and as hoped, she struck Dha-viath hard with the broad side of her tail, slamming her against the wall.

The pain was incredible, and multiple ribs were cracked, at least two broken. Slumped on the floor, it hurt to drag air into her lungs, but undoubtedly she appeared dead. An ordinary human would have been killed outright, but she was not an ordinary human being. Even in those moments, the nanites that coursed through her blood began their repairs. Every injection of Nracha-dte's blood had introduced more and more of them to her system, explicitly programmed to repair damage in a human body.

The queen had refocused on Pa'tahl, and he was fast, agile, avoiding her and the serpents, picking them off while he was still able. His gun was bigger and hit harder than Dha-viath's despite its wretched condition.

Every second mattered.

The focus was on Pa'tahl…the queen, and the serpents saw him as the only remaining threat and slowly, Dha-viath pushed herself up, her plan formulating. She pushed through the pain, she'd felt this level before and lived. The contraption that had held the queen was complicated and sturdy, and on her feet, she ran for it.

Unnoticed, Dha-viath scaled it, getting higher up than the queen who was getting dangerously close to Pa'tahl, throwing the rubble out of the way. He knew what to do, his blasts were aimed at the neck and chest whenever it was exposed. Pick off a serpent, shoot the chest, pick off another serpent, two blasts to the neck. Faint trickles of the acid blood were visible.

The queen finally pinned him with one skeletal arm, screeching, looking at the remains of her offspring and those that still lived. Dha-viath was in place, the queen was looking down, exposing the back of her neck. With one movement, the bladed combistick was extended, but the queen heard the sound. The massive crested head started to turn, but it was too late, Dha-viath hurled the spear with a ragged cry, nearly toppling off the restraint frame.

It hit, and it drove _through_ the neck. It wasn't enough to be a killing blow, which both of them knew, but it was sufficient distraction. Pa'tahl rolled away as soon as the queen lifted her arm to grab at the spear. The remaining serpents had begun to go after Dha-viath. She grabbed the netgun on her back and twisted the dials to change it's shoot-pattern.

A serpent grabbed her leg as she aimed and nearly fired the net into the ceiling. Its claws bit into her leg as she clung to the frame. The queen moved, the perfect shot was gone! Pa'tahl fired, hitting the serpent that then fell, releasing Dha-viath. The queen's piercing, rage-filled screech hurt her ears, but as the massive beast turned her head, the spear in her neck twisted and she roared, looking down again, trying to pull it free.

Dha-viath fired the netgun.

Rather than spreading evenly, the pegs shot out in two close pairs, the razor wire mesh wrapping around the smallest part of the queen's neck, just above the spear. The bolts embedded in the hard exoskeleton and whirred as their mechanisms engaged. Dha-viath's chest heaved as the razor wire twisted, a mechanical garrote.

The queen clawed at it, the acid blood spraying as it quickly bit into her skin. There was no telling if the head would be severed completely and while Pa'tahl fought back the few remaining serpents, Dha-viath whipped the shuriken which whirred by, severing the flesh more before she leapt off the frame, perhaps foolishly, risking being impaled by the jagged spikes. But as the queen put her head back, Dha-viath landed hard on the crest then hit the floor directly under the queen. Flecks of acid burned her skin, but she swung the knife and finished the job, scrambling to get out of the spray. Her hands fumbled with the pack, pulling out the neutralizer and spraying it over herself where the acid had hit. There was no sound but the hissing of acid on stone and her breath. The pain of her injured ribs returned, and she sat down hard, clutching her middle for a moment.

The queen was dead. She had killed a queen.

The serpents were dead…they had survived. Two of them, anyway. Thicho had marked himself, he would get a hunter's burial, he would be recognized and his name put in the books honoring the fallen.

"Mark…yourself." Pa'tahl panted.

"What?" She looked up at him stupidly, her head swimming with what had just happened and the pain threatening to take over her entirely.

"The queen is _your_ kill, mark yourself with her blood."

"I could not have without you…"

"You could have. It is your kill. One that will solidify your place with us, yes?" He was right, such a kill would remove any and all doubt of her worthiness as a hunter. "Besides, I have killed more serpents than you and Thicho combined."

Dha-viath winced, standing up and breathing for a moment before slowly moving toward the dead queen. She detached the helmet hoses with a hiss before removing it, staring at what she had done. She'd proven everyone wrong, even herself, the shreds of doubt that had lingered in her mind. She pulled one of the long, thin bones from the string she wore around her neck, carefully dipping a narrow point in a pool of the queen's blood. She only needed a tiny amount and closed her eyes. As she had practiced the symbol thousands of times, she burned it into her forehead.

The pain from the acid was strangely satisfying. Everyone would see it, everyone would know. She marked her helmet as well, but Pa'tahl took the bone from her.

"That is the symbol for a serpent." Carefully he added something to the mark above her brow and then to her mask. "_That_ is the mark for a queen."

Dha-viath stared at it, burned into the metal. She knew that symbol, she had seen it before.

"I have seen this mark on Nracha-dte's things."

"He was the last one to kill a queen during the Chiva, in this temple in fact." Pa'tahl laughed then and shook his hand. "It seems only right that his student should do the same. The unblooded will be lined up to learn from him now!"

It took them a while, with their injuries, to clear the way to the pyramid's entrance and to get Thicho's body out. As they set him down on the top stair, many Yautja began to uncloak, and they stood, silent. There was nothing for any of them to say, it was a time of silence. Yin'tekai-de was there and made a small gesture, which sent several others soundlessly into the temple.

Dha-viath's strength had run out, and as her knees buckled, Pa'tahl caught her arm, lowering her to sit. Slowly she removed the pack and opened three different compartments, which contained the components to the injection she needed to heal faster. It was a trigger-style syringe, and she mixed one compound with the vial of Nracha-dte's blood and loaded it into the cartridge. Pressing it to her mid-section, she pulled the trigger and winced as pain worse than broken ribs burned through her. With teeth clenched, she didn't make a sound but sat back against the low stone wall of the platform.

It was done.

Dha-viath was blooded.


	6. Age: 17 - The Tradition

NOTE: consensual mature content.

.

A few hours of sleep had helped the healing process. When Dha-viath woke, she felt more or less whole again. She touched the mark on her forehead as if making sure it was really there. It still stung a tiny bit, healing more slowly than other wounds. She intentionally did not put any balm on it; it was a mark she wanted to bear. She wanted it to scar and to see it for the rest of her life when she looked at her reflection.

The trophies from the hunt were down in an empty bay awaiting cleaning, or at least hers was. By now, Pa'tahl had surely taken care of his already. He'd chosen the heads of the three biggest serpents he'd slain. Dha-viath had half expected him to be hostile toward her for taking so great a kill that could diminish his own, but instead, he was proud. He was satisfied to have assisted and enabled the killing of a queen. After all, he'd been attacked by many serpents at once and survived. There were plenty of Yautja that hadn't been able to handle one alone.

When Dha-viath entered the bay, she found her hunt-brother in the beginning stages of cleaning his trophies. He glanced up, then thumped his fist on his chest, and she returned the gesture.

"You still look terrible." He gave a snort, looking back at his work.

"Good. I would not want it to appear to have been an easy kill." She stepped up to the massive queen skull, not sure where to begin. Letting out a long breath, she took up the pen laser, still pondering where to start. It had more moving parts than a typical serpent since queens were able to withdraw their heads up into the crest carapace for protection. "I would never have thought the first skull of my collection would be…this."

"You are not the only one surprised."

"Of course not. Most were undoubtedly expecting me to die and for you and Thicho to be the ones emerging victorious."

"I would have died with him. I would not have thought to sever the head with a razor net." Pa'tahl glanced up and gave an appreciative nod. "We are taught that as prey, humans' greatest weapon is their ingenuity. Physically, they are easy to kill, but they figure out ways to keep themselves alive and defend against the hunters."

"You can imagine, surely, that I was not given much instruction on hunting humans." Dha-viath laughed then, and he clicked with amusement. This was the most amiable a Yautja other than Nracha-dte had ever been toward her.

"I suppose not."

"You no longer seem to resent me, Pa'tahl, I had thought that even blooded I would be despised." She sat on a stool near the queen's skull.

"There will still be some who do." He shrugged. "More from jealousy than from simple loathing, though. Your helmet and mine have all the evidence anyone will need to accept that you are as worthy of being amongst the Yautja as I am."

"I appreciate that." She fiddled with the hand-held laser as his comment hit home.

"I will say, though, Dha-viath, you cannot be quiet any longer. You will still need to fight, just as the rest of the young bloods do, for your respect. You said the clan leader wanted to witness your failure, are you not angry about that?"

"I am furious." Her head snapped up. "I have been angry with him from the very first time I met him."

"Feel your fury, clutch the rage in your fist, use that to reveal your strength and your pride. Show him at the ceremony that he, and everyone else, was wrong."

"Would that not be…insubordinate?"

"No. You violated no command. A Yautja has a right to air such a grievance; he spoke against you in the presence of others. Either he will fight you or concede that you are correct. You may be angry with him, but he is honorable, he will do what is right."

"I am sure I will do what I must when the time comes." She ran the laser over the edge of the crest, the outer coating bubbling a little before it split open. The device served two purposes; one was to remove anything that was not bone, and the second was to neutralize any of the serpent's acid blood that might still be in the head.

Dha-viath had also taken the queen's tail-barb; she could fashion it into a very lethal weapon, either for use or for display. It would depend on the hunt.

"I bet I know _one_ thing you are eagerly anticipating." She smirked and glanced across at him. He gave her a sidelong look before turning intently back to the task at hand.

"Perhaps sooner rather than later." He peeled back the exoskeletal portion of the serpent's head.

"Sooner?" Dha-viath laughed. "There are no females aboard."

"There is one."

"No, there are not, I _saw_ the manifest…" She blanched and sat up straight, whirling to face Pa'tahl. He was watching her out the corner of his eye again. "You are making fun of me."

"I am not."

"You cannot mean that, Pa'tahl."

"Why not?" He sat back and looked at her, folding his arms.

"You would be tainted…I could kill ten queens, and my body would still be seen as unworthy to lie with. Remember how you felt about me _before_ the Chiva." This couldn't be happening. It was tradition to mate for the first time right after being blooded, but it wasn't _required_. She'd made sure.

"I admit, I would not know what I was doing, but…" He stroked his chin.

"Do not think that I decline because of any perception of your unworthiness, I saw what you are capable of, and you will be a skillful and successful hunter." She felt suddenly uncomfortable and nervous. "But if you were with me…I fear that the females would reject you, and then it would be my fault that you were unable to partake in the seasons and sire offspring. I cannot risk that." There was a long, _horrible_ stretch of silence as Pa'tahl just looked at her before finally speaking again.

"I understand your concern, and though I disagree with you, I accept your answer."

"You do?" She felt as if poised to run to the door if necessary.

"Of course. I do not want an unwilling partner. Besides, the Chiva has bonded us, and I prefer we remain on positive terms as brother and sister of the hunt. Maybe even as friends." He shrugged, getting back to work.

* * *

Dha-viath didn't know what to expect upon returning to Vrehnov. Nracha-dte was nowhere as she made her way through the palace at the Clan Seat. She hadn't expected him to be waiting for her, by any means, but she wanted to tell him of her success, and tell him the story of her kill. She wanted him to be proud of her.

In the morning, the Clan Leader would recognize Dha-viath and Pa'tahl as blooded hunters in a public ceremony. The ship had docked well after dark, but still, they had been met by a throng of individuals. Those who were curious if the _human_ had survived. Not only had Dha-viath survived, but she was marked with the blood of a queen, news which would now spread very quickly.

The blooded were afforded certain privileges that Dha-viath had never had before. She was given a room of her own, rather than the usual spare bunk in the servants quarters.

The room was not extravagant by any means, but it was more comfortable than previous accommodations. Dha-viath was a hunter now, and though just a young blood, she was recognized as being worthy to hunt. In a way, it hadn't sunk in yet, she'd stood and stared at her reflection, at the mark on her forehead, for a very long time. It was strange, and it was part of her now, it was something that could never be taken away.

As she finished bathing, there was a loud knock on the door, which was not typical for the time of night. Perhaps Mo'seah didn't want to wait and wanted to hear about the Chiva now; she _was_ impatient. _And_ demanding. Dha-viath pulled on a simple halter dress and went to the door. Instead of Mo'seah, she found herself face to face with a palace messenger. This could not be good.

"What message do you bring?"

The messenger looked at the floor in deference. "Dha-viath, of Qr'sarn, Nracha-dte, Overlord of Qr'sarn, requests your presence at his quarters."

"Now? At this time of night?" _And why so formal_? It didn't make sense.

"Your presence is requested at once." He put his fist over his chest and then stepped back, waiting for her to accompany him. What she _wanted_ was to go to sleep and enjoy the comfort of a real bed. But, hunter or not, Nracha-dte was still her Overlord which required compliance when summoned. Did _he_ want her to regale him with the story of her kill already?

Dha-viath let out a long breath and stepped into the corridor, closing the door to her room. Rest would have to wait. The messenger looked worried, as though fearing she would refuse the summons; she _was_ known to be defiant.

Arriving at the much nicer wing, her guide knocked on Nracha-dte's door then opened it, indicating she should enter. Such formality didn't bode well; was this how it would be from now on? Formalities and etiquette? Hopefully not. The messenger did not follow her but did close the door. She looked around the dimly lit room.

She'd been to this suite plenty of times over the years, as it was always his. No one else was ever permitted to stay there. The light level was low, and it was quiet. She expected Nracha-dte to be seated at the table cleaning weapons or carving beads from bone. Very few knew of that particular hobby of his. He was the one who taught it to her.

"Nracha-dte?" There was a strange, unpleasant sensation in her gut. _What_ was going on? Why would he demand her presence and then _not_ be here? Silently she crept to the side room, which led to the terrace, but he was not out there either. She stared at the doorway of his sleeping quarters for a moment before padding over, stepping through the sheer hangings.

There was movement, she caught it out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she found him perched on a stool with his back to her. On the table in front of him were various bones in different states of being polished. He wore nothing save for the scant scraps of leather at his waist.

"Why did you not reply when I called out?" A frown knitted her brow. His behavior in general during the most recent months had been strange, to say the least.

"You are blooded now." He disregarded her question, setting down the polished bone and cloth before turning and getting to his feet. "Newly Blooded hunters have particular expectations, things that while not required are tradition and typically are eagerly anticipated." Her eyes widened.

"Oh, no." She looked around the room as though she'd walked into an ambush.

"It is customary that the young bloods…"

"I am _well_ aware of what is customary, and in particular, I am aware that it is, as you said, _not_ a requirement. I double-checked." Her heart started beating faster, and she looked around again. What was this? Was there someone waiting for her? Had he searched out a Yautja willing to couple with a human? Her thoughts flitted to Pa'tahl and then Ba'hru and _his_ offer some time ago. The latter had been blooded a while now and had partaken in the Season. He had no need other than curiosity to come near her. "I have had a conversation about this once already, I declined then, and I won't do it, I won't be touched by some disgraced hunter willing to lay down with me. Is that what this is? Did you offer me up and wait for someone…_any_one to agree?" She took a step or two back away from him as her anger rose up.

"You have not been _offered_ to anyone. Hold your sharp tongue and accusations, Dha-viath." He growled.

"Then, why am I here?" It was partly a relief as she knew the rules when it came to mating, Guan-dekna had always been thorough when educating Dha-viath.

Nracha-dte came toward her, stopping a couple paces away, then with arms at his sides and palms out, he bowed his head. Her eyes grew wider still, her jaw dropped open, and all vestiges of relief were gone in an instant.

"Nracha-dte, what are you doing?" She knew _exactly_ what he was doing…he was doing as males did when they made their desire to mate known to a female. It was called _Submission_ though it was anything but. Either males or females could initiate and only proceeded when the other consented.

The next step was _inspection_; it sounded clinical and entirely unappealing, but it was neither. By offering himself to her, Nracha-dte had given Dha-viath permission to touch him before she made her decision. Such formalities were rarely abided by, or they took place so quickly that it was impossible to discern what was happening until one individual was on top of the other. From what she had been told, it was usually in situations like this that the customary steps came into play.

Dha-viath had allowed herself to think of Nracha-dte this way only when she was alone, when her body felt unbearably aroused and in need of release. No one else had ever wandered into her imagination as he did. Now, her heart was pounding. She admired his body, the long, lean lines, his muscled limbs…strong, though not as massive as some…but taller than many.

She realized then that she'd taken a step forward, one hand forward while unconsciously reaching out to touch him, but now she was frozen. It was very different from how she had reacted to the others when the suggestion was made. She didn't want _them_. Nracha-dte's eyes were on her, she could feel his gaze before slowly, so as not to startle her, he took her by the wrist, placing her hand on his abdomen. Beneath her palm, his skin was hot to the touch and felt perhaps softer on his belly than she might have expected. Finally, she put both hands on him, letting her fingers slide up his chest then lightly trail down his arms.

Dha-viath's breath was coming fast and shallow, but she held it as her fingertips came to the leather around his waist. Her face was burning hot, though she didn't know why. She looked up, and it was almost straight up, to meet his eyes. Nracha-dte nodded once, and her gaze went back to his hip where the leather was tied. She'd seen numerous Yautja males and females undressed, the Season didn't typically involve much attire, but she had never seen _him_. Her hand trembled as she pulled the ties; she could tell he was _ready_, and once loose, the leather hung on him rather than falling. She almost gave a nervous laugh but decided it was wiser not to.

"I do not know what to do…" She made herself look back up into his eyes, aiming for confident but likely failing. He took the leather and dropped it on the floor. Dha-viath's gaze went at once to his waist again, and her breath caught. To see him like that was…somewhat intimidating, but her insides clenched in anticipation.

"Do you consent?"

"Yes." She didn't even need to think about the reply. Nracha-dte reached out and tugged the tie at her neck, the only thing keeping her dress up. It fell to her waist, and he shoved it down her hips before gesturing to the bed.

Dha-viath took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she tried to calm herself, walking toward the bed, then stopped at its edge, staring at the surface. He stepped up behind her, pressing against her as his hand slid across her belly and then downward. She gasped as his fingers dipped between her legs, finding that wet focal point, sending a jolt of electric pleasure through her.

She knew well how to please herself, what it felt like to reach climax, and her body ached for it now with an intensity she couldn't have imagined. Nracha-dte's fingers moved rhythmically in tiny circles. In reflex, she clutched his arm, the muscles like bands of steel beneath his skin. He knew what he was doing and with one foot, nudged her feet a bit farther apart. His free hand moved over her breasts and held her against his body. It happened much faster than she expected, the sudden ecstatic spasm gripping her. It was the first time someone _else_ had touched her that way, the first time someone else had brought her pleasure. She cried out, her legs shaking, but rather than satisfaction, she hungered for more.

Nracha-dte released her, gently pushing her forward and she got onto the bed on her hands and knees as he climbed on behind her. The sound of his breath came faster, and her mind whirled; did she want him that way? From behind? Or would she rather see what he was doing? Dha-viath reminded herself that this wasn't mating in the typical sense. His actions could not have been born of desire; this was to ensure that none could refute her status as blooded. It would be a brief encounter, not meant for more than fulfilling tradition…or so she told herself.

His hands slid over her backside and hips; for a moment, he gripped her, then one hand was gone. She flinched as suddenly he was butted up against her wetness. The tip pressed forward, then slipped in. Already she was breathing hard from expectation and nervousness, but his fingers slid around to her belly and down once more, finding her, working her as he slowly and carefully pushed his hips forward bit by bit. She moaned outright as he filled her, the fit was so very tight, but felt glorious, and she wanted more. He didn't move though, which she was grateful for as she grew accustomed to the feel of him inside her.

It was different than she expected, different than the things she used alone. The room was silent around them except for her breathing and Nracha-dte's as it grew more rapid. She could feel a tremble run through him. Was it with the effort to keep going? To force himself to go through with it? Or was he straining to hold back? Her body didn't care either way, and she moved her hips, drawing away, then pressing him deep with a soft sound of longing for more.

Nracha-dte withdrew almost entirely before he thrust hard, once, and she cried out with both surprise and the ripples of pleasure that emanated from her center. She buried her face against the covers, trying to stay quiet. He fell forward onto his hands and moved with a slow, steady rhythm. She opened her eyes and saw the blankets clutched in his fists, every muscle straining, and the tremble in him grew stronger until at last a ragged groan tore from him. He _liked_ it…being deep inside her flesh pleased him, and it was almost as if he was fighting the desire.

Never one to make it easy for him, Dha-viath met the rhythm, moving her hips back against him, panting, sweating. He inhaled sharply and bucked against her, and it was just enough to push her over the edge of climax yet again, and her body clenched around him. He grabbed her hips, moving hard until her pleasure ebbed, and he pulled away, leaving her feeling strange and empty.

"Is…is that it?" She breathed, hoping it was not. Maybe she'd been right, and he wanted it over with.

In answer, he abruptly flipped her onto her back and pressed her thighs wide apart, driving into her again. In his eyes was a dark, frenzied look of need. It was an expression unlike any she'd seen before. He closed his eyes.

Dha-viath couldn't stay quiet and stopped trying, clinging to him as he moved hard; every stroke coaxed her toward another glorious shattering.

She lifted her hips, meeting his, moving beneath him, with him, pulling from him the unexpectedly delightful sounds of his enjoyment. The peak crashed into her again, and Nracha-dte's movements grew more urgent, frantic even, and he drove forward, pressing deep as a roar tore from him. He'd swelled even further, and she felt each pulse of his relief.

The silence that followed was deafening, punctuated only by the whoosh of Dha-viath's heartbeat in her ears as it slowed, gradually returning to normal. Her eyes were heavy, exhaustion was taking her over and somewhere far away, she was aware that he'd moved off to lay beside her. Then there was no awareness of anything at all.

* * *

Dha-viath woke to find herself wedged firmly against Nracha-dte, head on his shoulder as his arm lie out to the side. She was startled for the brief waking moment before memories return. His eyes were shut while hers were huge and round, darting around the room. Daylight streamed in between the hangings that led to the terrace. One of his attendants passed through the chamber with a casual glance in their direction. He continued through to the other rooms, apparently neither surprised nor appalled.

_Proof_. If there was to be no question of what they'd done, there needed to be at least one witness. Now there were two, and Dha-viath understood why he'd sent a messenger the night before. And why the servants were already moving throughout his quarters. Word would spread.

Was he asleep? Dha-viath lifted her head a little, and though Nracha-dte's eyes were closed, she didn't think he was sleeping. One of her braids slid over her shoulder and down her chest. It felt heavier than she was accustomed to, then she saw it. It was a large, metallic clip not unlike some of the smaller ones she wore. It was Nracha-dte's, but it was on _her_ braid. He'd put it there obviously, and the markings on it signified a hunt. Gingerly she moved it and saw the blooding symbol, the same one she wore now, burned into her flesh. It was a gift of greater meaning than she was capable of articulating.

Nracha-dte shifted a little, pulling her attention back. The thin sheet was not covering him at all, and he lie there naked…fully erect. But _why?_ And what was supposed to happen now? Was he pretending to sleep so she would leave? But the clip on her braid…? Confusion ran rampant.

As though in answer, his free hand reached for hers and placed it on him. It was a wordless question, and Dha-viath looked at his face, finding his yellow eyes watching her. Again? He wanted more? Wasn't once enough? _She_ certainly wanted more; her whole body was screaming for his touch. Slowly, she wrapped her fingers around him, watching for his reactions. As she gripped a little more firmly and moved her hand, his eyes rolled back briefly.

"Is there pain?" He exhaled the question then his eyes flicked down toward her waist. Dha-viath moved her hips around a little, then shook her head.

"I think I am fine." Her pulse raced again. He reached between her legs, and she jumped a little, but he shook his head.

"Hmm." He turned over and bodily moved the angle at which she was lying before pushing her thighs apart.

"What are you doing?" She could only stare as his face got closer to her. "Nracha-dte…what…?" His tongue slid out and made contact with her sensitive flesh, and all she could do was inhale sharply and watch in fascinated horror and enjoyment. She'd never seen Yautja do _this_. Perhaps there were some things done strictly in private. He thrust his tongue into her, and she gasped again as he stroked and explored her. She was getting close, hips undulating against him, but he pulled away, leaving her almost painfully on the edge.

He laid on his back again then grabbed Dha-viath by the waist and set her astride him. A desire to please him rose up inside her, to make him lose himself in that pleasure the way she had. She lifted her hips and guided him, inhaling sharply as she slowly took him in. Nracha-dte gave a shudder, his hands grasping her hips. Then he squarely met her eyes.

"You killed a queen. Act like it." The order was startling, but she understood. She was a blooded hunter, and female…he was telling her to take what she wanted.

Dha-viath braced herself on his chest, moving experimentally while hunger was apparent in his eyes. It was almost the same look as when he was hunting prey. She had worked hard to put logic and fact before everything else, to tie her feelings down and keep them from getting in the way, but like this…her body and everything else laid bare before him…the mechanical, emotionless thoughts and analysis had broken down and she was her rawest, truest self. It was frightening and uncomfortable to look at Nracha-dte while their bodies were joined, and feel unhindered affection.

But not every analytical thought was stopped, it seemed unlike him to do this for no reason but to fulfill a tradition that had no bearing on her status as a hunter. If tradition were the reason, he would not be inside her now, holding back so that his muscles tremored with the effort.

Linear thought vanished though as she got the hang of the movement, the feeling building up, the tension growing even more than before. Nracha-dte had tried to be still, but began moving beneath her, urging her. She was panting and found the right rhythm, the right amount of friction. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down just as she reached her climax, crying out and grinding hard against him. He groaned as his body tensed, his head back, and he almost finished with her. Her pleasure had receded by the time he was done, and Dha-viath collapsed forward.

"I thought once would meet the alleged requirements." She breathed, her cheek pressed against his chest.

"It did."

"Mm." She almost asked him why, but thought better of it. Perhaps he would seek her out again for this pleasure. She hoped so…

"You must hurry if you are to be ready on time." He clicked in amusement as she wrenched herself away from him. The ceremony!

"Damn your distraction!" She cast one last look at his naked form before grabbing her dress from the floor and charging into the next room. She halted, about to pull the dress on but saw her belongings were there waiting for her. Nracha-dte stepped out, and she looked up at him in question.

"Return to these quarters tonight." His head tilted to one side. "If you wish." Then he vanished to get himself ready for the ceremony as well. Dha-viath stood momentarily dumbfounded as she slowly worked out what was happening. She would stay _here_ now? He _did_ want more.

* * *

Yin'tekai-de's great hall was teeming with Yautja, and Dha-viath quickly stepped up beside Pa'tahl, both of them decked out in their best.

"Well, _you_ look _well satisfied_." She grinned, and he narrowed his eyes, peering down at her.

"As do you. The Overlord, no less." He gave a laugh, though. "That will end any dissent, for certain. There is no one who would question him." Then he clapped her on the back. "It has been an honor to have you as a hunt-sister." Her amusement vanished, replaced with shock as she stared at him then.

"Likewise, hunt-brother. You proved your worth tenfold." She replied, clearing her throat, just the tiniest bit choked up.

"Three were blooded, though two came back, but it was not a death without honor. The name of Thicho will be written amongst the Hunters." The clan leader boomed. All noise ceased. "Pa'tahl and Dha-viath honored their fallen brother and ensured his return." Murmurs rippled across those who had gathered, and Dha-viath's breath caught as she caught sight of Nracha-dte standing not far from the clan leader with Guan-dekna. He was watching her, and all could see him watching her. They all knew what had happened.

Pa'tahl suddenly gave Dha-viath a hard nudge, and she blinked, paying attention once more.

"They both killed the serpents as they were loosed and multiplied. The temple was sabotaged by the creatures, freeing their matron, but the hive's queen was slain…by Dha-viath." Yin'tekai-de looked at her with an unreadable expression. She avoided him generally, considering he had wanted to see her torn apart by dogs for fun. "Come forward."

Dha-viath stepped out, her head held high as she looked from face to face.

"What have you to say?" It was almost as if Yin'tekai-de knew she needed to speak.

"I have been surrounded by the doubts and condemnation of others since I came to the Yautja." Her eyes fell to Pa'tahl, who gave a single nod. "And now…those who sought my failure, who waited like carrion birds for a weak animal to die…you are proven wrong! I have done what even those who spoke against me have not done!" Her heart was pounding. "I have fought every day of my life to be worthy to stand here, finally a part of the Yautja. I am filled with pride, honor, and glory to be a hunter. For _what_ better thing is there to be?" There was a sudden roar of agreement from the crowd, fiercer than she expected. "The serpents sought my life and were destroyed. Their _queen_ sought my life and was destroyed. For what _is_ there that can stand against the Yautja and live?" The Yautja roared again, and she shouted over the din. "Nothing will keep us from the glory of the hunt!" Dha-viath turned to face the clan leader, looking him in the eye. "_Who_ is laughing now?"


End file.
